Oil pressure sender

[Kr lip]

Is there any way to test it. My light does not come on anymore it use to I checked bulb it's fine also there are times when after a long ride I'd shut bike off and I'd work so it's intermittent I tried checking wires behind headlight they all look OK also befor removing it should I drain oil due to leaking out I did a search and did not find any thing useful thanks again

 

[Tggraff]

The sensor is a ground interrupt. I believe the circuit is normally closed and is only open when oil pressure is high enough. You should be able to test continuity from the sensor to ground when the bike is running and not. Zero ohms when not running. Open line when there is pressure.

 

[kshansen]

If you find that the sender/switch is in fact bad go to this thread in the forum where optional ones are shown as being available relatively cheap.

http://www.xs400.com/threads/oil-pressure-switch.15213/

Also did not see in your post where you had just tried grounding the wire that is connected to the switch. Very simple test. Next time the light is not on with the engine off take a short piece of wire and jumper from the terminal on the sender/switch and ground the other end of the wire to a clean spot on the engine. Light should come on, if not the problem is in the wiring somewhere, or the bulb itself. Slight chance the bulb filament could be making intermittent contact in the bulb.

 

[Kr lip]

OK thanks guys I'll try later it's funny I ran bike around the block a few times sat down and as I wrote that the damn thing worked an hour later tried again and no light

 

[xschris]

Check the wire harness ground. Not the battery ground. It's a smaller wire that grounds off the battery box mounting bolt.

 

[Kr lip]

OK wires are good when I ground it the light comes on I'm going to assume I need a sending unit or try to clean it I'm due for oil change anyway so I may try that after I get bike back. It's going in for carb rebuild tomorrow so will see il update when I figure it out thanks again guys

 

[xschris]

Sometimes if you give it a lite tap it will work. Or pull it off the bike and try to clean it out. Lets hope it's not a bad oil pump and the the bike has no oil pressure. But I doubt that's it.

 

[kshansen]

Sometimes if you give it a lite tap it will work. Or pull it off the bike and try to clean it out. Lets hope it's not a bad oil pump and the the bike has no oil pressure. But I doubt that's it.

If it is going in for a carb rebuild I'd ask the guy doing the carbs if he has an oil pressure gauge he could install to check the oil pressure. Should be a quick and easy test to confirm it is good. I would not want to run it till that was checked.